We talked on Tuesday about Florida Republicans' efforts to restricting voting in 2012, including cracking down on voter-registration drives, limiting the number of days available for early voting, and in the new push, taking away voting rights from eligible citizens while trying to purge non-citizens from the voting rolls.
It's worth appreciating the fact that the purge isn't dying down or being scaled back in the face of public criticism; it's intensifying.
Chris Cate, a spokesman for the state Division of Elections, defended the state's actions. "It's very important we make sure ineligible voters can't cast a ballot," he said in an email to the Herald on Tuesday.... "I don't have a timetable on when the next list of names will be sent to supervisors, but there will be more names."
Cote said the state will try to rely on updated information, but as Judd Legum noted, "It's unclear how the new procedures alluded to by Cate will solve the systemic problems with the voter purge list. There have been several individuals targeted by the list that have been citizens their entire lives. Therefore, there seems to be major problems beyond outdated citizenship information."
What are the practical implications of this? Ari Berman reported yesterday that, based on current ratios of Floridians falsely flagged as "non-citizens," there may be "more than 35,000 eligible voters" who could be disenfranchised.
That may sound like a miniscule figure in a state of 19 million people, but (a) unjustly taking away the voting rights of even one American is unacceptable; and (b) recent history has shown that Florida elections have been decided by far fewer than 35,000 votes.
If you missed it, we had more on this story on last night's show. See the clip above.
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The most brutal and unsubstantiated attack on the rights of Americans in decades is taking place in Florida, and the media and rest of the country doesn't seem to care. Tea Party idiot Rick Scott, the most unpopular governor in the nation, is randomly throwing off minorities and people that voted for Barack Obama in 2008 off the voter rolls for no reason whatsoever. 200,000 innocent Florida residents and U.s. citizens are being disenfranchised because they voted against the GOP last election., This is monstrous, and something far more akin to Hitler's Germany than the United States./ where is the DOJ? http://www.sunstateactivist.org
This is another reason it was a bad thing, a very bad thing, when Florida eliminated the Secretary of State as an elected official. Though in 2000 a similar trick was pulled by Kathryn Harris, who was the last elected person in that post, backed up by then Gov. Jeb Bush, her subsequent political fate would have an effect on an elected incumbent in that office. As it stands it will be up to the county level Supervisors of Election, most of whom are elected Constitutional Officers, to shortstop it. From all indications that is what is occurring.
Further, make no mistake this move by Lord Voldemort is not really and truly related to the 2012 cycle. It is, provided he get away with it, a prelude to another round of purges in advance of the 2014 elections when he has said he will seek a second term; an election, were it held this year, he would be certain to lose.
That is the $64,000 dollar question !. Where is and HAS ERIC HOLDER been this past four years ?. In my personal opinion , ERIC HOLDER has been one of the most INEFFECTIVE United States attorney generals of our life time.Not to mention one of the most INEFFECTIVE cabinet members of the Obama administration.
From the Bush administration torture role after september 11th , to the role of the Banking industry in the collapse of the U.S. Economy back in 2008 , to the OBVIOUS illegal handling of mortgages , and the bundling of mortgage backed securities ERIC HOLDER has been M.I.A. Now we have a BLATANT attempt at minority VOTER SUPRESSION in the state of florida by its "Tea Bagger" governor RICK SCOTT. A BLATANT voter supression plan specificaly AIMED at handing the state of FLORIDA to the Republican Candidate for president in the november elections of 2012 !.
And where oh where is ERIC HOLDER in all this ?...
He is going around paying "LIP SERVICE" to the right that every American citizen has of one voice one vote.
Hey ERIC get off your lazy a** and do your f****g job !....
As above . I get physically ill and crazy angry when I watch the segment on TRMS . I nearly drove off the road this morning when NPR ran a story on it this morning and told me "some people say " their rights are being violated . Why is this not being stopped in its tracks ? ACLU hello! This violates the Voting Rights Act in so many ways.We are looking at President Romney if we don't do something.
I also had to quit watching this segment as it made me furious. And I am also wondering where is the DOJ? Not only in FL but also MI and other states that are trying to push folks away from voting. Since the debacle in 2000, I have begun to wonder if maybe we should have UN monitors on election day, just like we push for in other upcoming democracies. Crazy.
The Republicans are going whacko...hopefully they will implode and end it all..
Rick Scott belongs in jail..Why are the Floridians taking this?????
By this logic of ensuring ineligible voters don't vote by casting a wide net, governor Scott should also be arresting large numbers of Floridians who may have committed a crime. They are using a guilty until proven innocent approach, preferring to punish many eligible voters rather than allowing one illegal vote. Of course we can all bet on the fact that the list was designed to eliminate a disproportionate number of Democrats from the voter rolls. Governor Scott should be put in jail for this crime against the voters of Florida.
The democrats can't even stand up to voter suppression, citizens united, gun control, the unifying in Wisconsin, the ridiculous birther movement, or anything else the republicans throw at them, maybe soon enough they will take it upon themselves in telling us what color underwear we should all use. I'm beginning to wonder which party is actually the dysfunctional one? Where are the Kennedy's when we need them.
How is asking for ID suppressing voters? Does the left think their constitutes are so pathetic they can't produce one? Why not instead of whining about it, get out there and help these people better their lives by getting an ID?
did you even read the article, understand the issue? Please do so, then come back with the correct talking points.
Then we can discuss the issue at hand - removing citizens from the voting rolls.
@ Eric! ...Why dont you ask that question to the World War 2 veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star and has been voting in florida for the past fourteen years , and who just happened to get PURGED out of the voting roles of the State of Florida ?..
it seems that Eric has no awareness of the issue at all or is willfuly ignorant and intentionally trying to lie. Asking for ID that was not needed before and changing the rules in a major election all point to attempts to restrict voters ability by the party that lost so badly in those exact consituencies. Here in PA, we now have to have photo ID, because the Governor claims voter fraud but cannot show that it exists or explain why he found nothing when he was attorney general. It is a backdoor of making people with little extra money or ability to travel have to pay to have a basic right. That's what's wrong, Eric. And yes, people are indeed out there helping those who don't have them, get IDs. They shouldn't have to do so. It's sad when conservatives must use such transparent tricks and lies in their attempt to subvert the principles of the United States. I'm sadly sure you'd like to go back to where the only ones who can vote were white land-owning males.
@Eric, in FL non-citizens can get a driver's license which means just because someone has a driver's license, it does not mean they are eligible to vote. So if this is really about voter fraud vs voter suppression don't you think they would have gotten a list of people to purge from Homeland Security or some other organization instead of the DMV?
Why aren't the County Election Offices checking their own lists of registered voters first before conferring with Homeland Security before mailing the letters...or Social Security offices, or the IRS...couldn't these government offices coordinate...seems like it would be more efficient and effective at truly culling the lists of real non-citizens; also in many ways less intrusive than removing someone from the voting rolls...even though we know voter fraud is a problem in only .0001% of all votes cast across the country?
I'm under the impression the County Election Offices are trying to find another way.
http:/ /blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2012/05/17/is-florida-trying-to-purge-legitimate-voters/
But, personally, I don't trust FL's Secretary of State, Ken Detzner.
http:/ /www.dos.state.fl.us/oss/secretary-bio.aspx
(To get the links to work, remove the spaces between the //'s.)
I think they need to bring in an outside source. As long as it's an unbiased (?) Fed source, I don't care which one it is hence the part of my statement that says "or some other organization".
Does anybody else think that Patrick Fitzgerald might be heading toward Washington D.C.? After his surprise resignation as AG in IL, something is fishy, and Eric Holder doesn't seem up to the job.
I understand that "conventional blog debate rules" dictate that the first person who brings up the Nazis loses, and that what I'm about to say will be poo pooed. But really when reading this I can't help but compare this situation to that of pre Nazi -Germany and the amazement of onlookers as to "how it all could have happened". It happened with the consent and prejudice of the people.
Its a shame that it does get Poo pooed because those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it .
The destruction of the education system in this country is enabling it to happen
Reminds me of that idiot Kevin James that was on the Matthews show that time calling Obama an Appeaser , having no clue who Nevell Chamberlain was and in what context appeasement was being used.
Talking points not knowledge.
Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK0d8ENS__c
the whole idea of claiming someone of "godwinning" an argument only seems to be an attempt to remove a very valid example from use. Nazis should be used as a valid vile example and if the situation is similar there is no reason not to use them. as "sick n effin" said, history needs to be remembered. The GOP sure is looking like a bunch of Nationalist Socialists right now. it's up to them to show they aren't intending something very similar, with their attempts to restrict who can be considered a "real" American, to attempt to force one religion on everyone, to revise history so Americans are as magically special as the wannabee "Aryans" thought they were.
@RobertMunro
Bringing up Nazis is not an automatic loss. The key is the context, the validity of the connection to the Nazis and the presence of, or lack of, facial absurdity. Accordingly, you are fine here.
When the Nazis came into power, Germany was a multi-party state. A little too multi-party, as it happens, which was a big reason why the Nazis were able to gain power. Among the first things they did with their power was to dissolve and ban all other political parties.
The GOP aren't being that blatant in their attempts to turn the US in a single-party dictatorship. They don't yet have full national and state-level control. But they are doing all they can to neuter the Democratic Party in the states they do control. If these efforts gain them the White House and the Senate this year, and they at least hold the states they currently have, then we can expect them to push harder to eliminate the Democrats as serious contenders for power. They won't necessarily ban competing political parties outright, but the Citizens United decision plus state-level voter suppression along with a severe rollback of union rights could add up to the same thing.
The best thing that you can say about Republicans right now is that they are not Nazis...yet.
I find it difficult to express the amount of anger I felt watching this topic last night on TRMS. I'm not usually the tinfoil-hat type, but when I watched the segment, it reminded me so much of those crooked elections we hear about in other nations... some of which our own troops have helped in the past.
Voting is one of the most basic rights we have. Without it, we're no better than those countries we criticize for having rigged elections. Do we have to wait until the next Republican candidate for Governor of Florida wins by 115% before someone steps in?
And don't even get me started on "redistricting"...
America does need UN observers during our elections. The Republican voter fraud campaign is determined, viscous and wide spread. The last vestiges of democracy are being swept from the land by died-in-the-wool fascists wearing GOP flag pins.
Where in hell is the U. S. Justice department in all this? There are voter rights laws That are clearly being violated.
If we let them get away with this, our democratic form of government is finished. With the Citizens United decision forgeign money sources can buy our elections. If we let it happen, we deserve what we will get.
This Fla. shenanigan is only a piece of the GOP plan to suppress the votes by minorities, the young, elderly and students in several key states. I read an article somewhere , a few months ago, that Karl Rove and cronies have figured out if they can suppress 1 million votes across the USA, they can steal the election. Florida is a BIG part of that steal the vote. The GOP has targeted states that were a " close call" in the last election. Also, the GOP govenors of various states are coming up with voter suppression laws, in differing forms , to make make it more difficult for the elderly to vote. ( people who have no photo ID or perhaps have lost birth certificates) DO NOT be fooled, this is a concerted effort on the part of Karl Rove and Koch Bros cronies to STEAL the 2012 elections. Everyone of us must work to get out the vote in your cities and counties. I am talking to every young person I meet, at the grocery check out, the beauty salon, church, etc., stressing to them the vital importance of their votes this year and helping their relatives and friends to register to vote and then to VOTE ! Let's join together to show the Karl Roves and Koch bros and even the lowlife Trumps of the world that we will STAND UP and be counted !
Why don't we fight fire with fire? Don't most GOP voters cast ballots by mail? Isn't that ripe for fraud?
Why don't Dems sponsor a movement to eliminate all voting be mail? No absentee ballots either.
Not a joke - I think the Dems should do this.
You're going the wrong direction; increase voting by mail. You sit at the dining room table, read each measure carefully, consulting the printed voting guide (that came in the mail) for information about individual candidates, and make your selection without feeling rushed. Where do you get the assumptive question :don't most GOP voters cast ballots by mail?: Look at the states that are totally vote by mail...one group doesn't outnumber the other. (The only way I see it as ripe for fraud is mail theft. Ballots have to be mailed in WA, my state, at least 30 days before the election, so if you don't receive it when your neighbors do, you have time to contact the County and secure a ballot.)
Didn't we all show ID when we registered to vote however many years ago. Shoudn't that count today? Shouldn't there simply be one set of rules, not 50, for voting in this country?
One idea occurred to me as Rachel and her guest discussed the possibility of a coordinated effort by Republicans to suppress voters. I wonder if this is just a typical case of real facts in disharmony with the Republican's echo chamber. They so believe their own hype that, if election results do not line up with talk radio dogma (like Obama's election) than the only explanation can be voter fraud! Their belief is so indoctrinated that the facts Rachel keeps presenting about the very low rate of proven fraud in elections are completely irrelevant. Maybe these conservatives really think they are doing this country a favor by trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.
The best way to combat this is to make sure everyone we know is able to vote. Everyone, make sure yoyu get out there and register to vote. If you need help just go to http://registertovote.org, which is helpful, or get someone to help you, just register. I dont want the GOP to steal the election.
Is there a public list of these several thousand names? If so, I just bet most of them dare to have an "unAmurican" vowel at the end. And it's amazing, all of the current voter fraud scandals are by Republicans. Hmmm, seems that projection is their problem.
On another topic, has Santorum apologized yet for all of his lies during the primary campaign?
Any legal experts in the house? What would it take to de-certify Florida as a whole from the general election? On what grounds could an individual bring suit to do this?
For those asking where the DOJ is in all this, here is the answer.
Heard that on the news earlier,Its about time,Thank goodness.
Ever wonder how a Congressperson making $180K a year leaves office three
years later a multi-millionaire? Want to get this country back on
track? After Obama gets re-elected reverse the Bush de-regulation
policies that eliminated accountability of Corps & Congressperson to
the voters : 1). Let’s get rid of “SUPERPACS” or in other words,
(Corporations & Lobbyists) out of Congress, Make EVERYONE
ACCOUNTABLE & leave the influence of the Decision Making Congress
accountable to the actual working (VOTERS). 2). Just Like Securities
Licensed Brokers, make it illegal for Decision Making Congresspersons to
be able conduct “Insider Trading” 3). Like the average, everyday
American Worker, Make ALL Congresspersons pay for their own respective
Medical Benefits & also go on Social Security. 4). Make all BANKS
& Corporations Accountable to re-invest in this country (U.S.)You
know, the country that had provided for them the privilege of getting a
head start to their Trillions as compared to any other place in the
World. Do these few things, and all of a sudden things start to get
better. Very Quickly.
It is pathetic to think that Romney would want Americans to forget and
would want to go back to the mess that Bush left behind. (He re-hired
all of Bush’s Financial Team) Does this make sense? Duh???? Fact: Bush
Policies brought this country back 40 years FROM Progress! Fact: The
Obama Administration, while not perfect, despite the efforts of the GOP
(Government Obstruction Party in Congress), is slowly getting us back on
track to the time where the Clinton Administration left us: In a
Positive Financial Situation. Enough of the empty, ignorant rhetoric
from Romney Fans: Here are the Numbers & Facts: http://www.examiner.com/article/report-shows-how-bush-destroyed-the-american-economy
Add your voice and name to a petition at Change.Org:
http://www.change.org/petitions/protect-the-right-to-vote-of-91-year-old-wwii-veteran-181-999-other-florida-voters
Help increase pressure on Florida Governor Rick Scott and the DOJ to do the right thing!